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Daily Update 7/29: Poised for Economic Recovery

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Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Today: Wednesday, July 29, 2009

  • Governor Patrick visited with young people attending UMASS Boston summer camps and programs today.
  • This afternoon, Governor Patrick meets with students and teachers at Project RISE in Braintree.
  • Tonight, Governor Patrick hosts a town hall meeting in Wareham.

In the Press:

 

  • Massachusetts: Poised for Economic Recovery – Today’s Boston Globe reports that a number of key economic indicators – including business and consumer confidence levels and home and car sales – are all trending upwards and pointing to an economic recovery. In addition, Massachusetts ranked #1 in the nation in May in job growth and CNBC recently ranked Massachusetts the 8th best state to do business in the country. Governor Patrick and his team are committed to governing for the long-term, and have been making investments in sectors like the life sciences and clean energy that create jobs while at the same time providing relief to people who are struggling right now. This approach has put the Commonwealth on course to ensure we are ready to take advantage of the turnaround when it fully takes off. Read more here.
    • “Project Raises Hope for Jobs” – In keeping with his commitment to stimulating job and economic growth in every corner of the Commonwealth, last month Governor Patrick unveiled a collaboration with world-class public and private universities and businesses that will lead to the development of a high-performance computing center in Holyoke, and a statewide collaborative research program. Read about what this facility will mean for Holyoke and the regional economy here.

 

Governor Patrick announces MassHousing First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Program in Springfield yesterday.

 

Governor Patrick makes a broadband expansion announcement in Northampton yesterday.

 

  • Broadband Expansion in Western Massachusetts – Yesterday in Northampton, Governor Patrick announced a new partnership between the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) and the Executive Office of Transportation (EOT) to bring broadband to unserved and underserved communities in Western Massachusetts.  This partnership will use $4.3 million in state bond funds to lay fiber optic cable beneath Interstate 91 to help build out broadband networks to enhance service for small businesses, schools and individuals.  “We are determined to empower all students and businesses with the tools they need to succeed,” said Governor Patrick. “By leveraging an existing road project to bring broadband access to Western Massachusetts, we are positioning the Commonwealth to compete for federal stimulus grants and investing wisely in our future.” Learn more here.

 

  • Help for First Time Homebuyers – Yesterday in Springfield, Governor Patrick announced the initial group of approved lenders for the MassHousing First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Loan Program.  This program will allow first-time homebuyers to borrow up to $8,000 from MassHousing in advance of a federal tax credit.  “It’s a great time to buy,’’ said Governor Patrick. “And we now have a network of lenders in place to help homebuyers put their federal tax credit to work now to buy their first home.’’  Read more here, and see coverage from the announcement in the Springfield Republican. Read more and watch additional coverage at WWLP.

 

  • Improving Public Housing – The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act presents local housing authorities with an opportunity to switch from state-sponsored funding to federal-sponsored funding. An editorial in today’s Boston Globe’s supports the Department of Housing and Community Development encouraging the change so that more state funds can be freed up and directed to repairing dilapidated developments under the state’s control. “The state’s stake in public housing is a vestige of the 1940s, when Massachusetts acted more quickly than the federal government to build affordable developments for the families of returning veterans of World War II…An opportunity to shift some of those costs to the federal side would be welcome and…reducing the state’s burden by a few thousand units would provide some breathing room for state housing officials and better living conditions for tenants.” Read the full editorial here.

 

  • Massachusetts Gets Top Marks on Transportation Stimulus Spending – A report from the MASSPIRG Education Fund and Smart Growth America ranks Massachusetts ahead of other states in terms of investing federal stimulus funds in public transportation and infrastructure. “‘Massachusetts spent its stimulus money well, and is facing its transportation challenges head-on,’ according to Lizzi Weyant, staff attorney for MASSPIRG. ‘The commonwealth should be commended for focusing on projects that invest in public transportation and fix our roads and bridges. These priorities will go a long way towards meeting the goals of the stimulus and can be directly connected to job creation.’” Learn more here.

 

This Week:

 

  • Monday afternoon, Governor Patrick testified in support of CORI reform legislation at the State House.

 

  • On Monday, Governor Patrick attended a legislative leadership meeting in the State House.

 

  • Tuesday morning, Governor Patrick made an announcement relative to economic recovery in Northampton.

 

  • Later Tuesday morning, Governor Patrick met with the Daily Hampshire Gazette editorial board.

 

  • Tuesday afternoon, Governor Patrick made an announcement relative to housing in Springfield.

 

  • Last night, Governor Patrick attended Tanglewood on Parade in Lenox.